EZO PUNKS – The Eight Exceptional Beings Immersed in a Spiritual Trance.

I create drawings that depict “the presence of unusual forms,” using watercolors on Japanese washi printmaking paper and acrylic on canvas. I am interested in “the presence of unusual forms” as something that falls outside conventional social norms, and I believe that encountering such otherness always brings us into contact with new values. Through the use of deliberately excessive line drawing and colors, the aura of these “otherworldly forms” is expressed in my work.

Among the influences on my work are manga and ukiyo-e, forms of Japanese popular culture which have long depicted a wide variety of beings. I recreate the otherworldly sense found in these cultural genres in the form of contemporary art. For example, I have a body of work titled the “EZO PUNKS” series. It grew out of my fascination with the otherness infusing Toshusai Sharaku’s Ōkubi-e actor portraits, which consist of large, one-of-a-kind drawings that depict “the presence of unusual forms” rather than mass-produced pieces. This style of creating large, unique drawings succeeds in more fully drawing out their otherworldly aura. In addition, Hokkaido, where I live―once known as Ezo―has developed a cultural climate that deviates from the mainland where Japanese culture was born, and this sense of otherness in itself has been a source of spiritual inspiration for me.

In this exhibition, the second installment of the “EZO PUNKS” series, I am exhibiting large-sized Ōkubi-e portraits inspired by Hokkaido’s endemic species and subspecies of flora and fauna. These plants and animals have been fully rooted in Hokkaido since ancient times, and the EZO punks are cloaked in their spirituality. I hope that these portraits inspire viewers to explore new ways of perceiving and appreciating the world. Also on display is the work “Gestating Utility Pole”, which was featured in my solo exhibition at Gallery Monma Annex in 2008. An otherworldly aura appears to emerge from beyond the modern symbol of the utility pole.

I am continuing to develop the “EZO PUNKS” series from new perspectives. In addition, the hyper-drawing performance held annually in Sapporo’s underground pedestrian space is also scheduled for this year.